The Life of a Tomboy in Yellow
by Lumos314
Summary: Major Azran Legacy spoilers! Emmy's life has always centered around the Azran. From her parents' disappearance, to growing up with her uncle, to her mission. But what exactly did that life entail? Emmy tells us her story. Will eventually contain LaytonxEmmy shipping.
1. A Beginning

I suppose my story starts with the Azran, an ancient civilization destroyed by their own folly and selfishness, leaving behind many artifacts. At some point in our history, the Altava family came to own one. It was a beautiful glass vase, crafted with the utmost care in beautiful shades of turquoise and green. It was passed down through my family for a few generations, coming to rest with my parents.

Amy and Tim Altava treasured that vase. It was their most prized possession, always sitting on a special shelf and holding a few red carnations. The moment dust began to gather, my mother pulled out her trusty stepladder and wiped away every speck, leaving the glass polished and gleaming.

To be honest, that's really the only thing that comes to mind when I think of them. That, and a vague feeling of happiness and warmth.

The reason I don't remember much is simple. One hot, summer day, when I was around three, they and their vase simply disappeared, leaving me and my siblings alone. The only clue anyone ever found was a trail of red liquid by the door.

* * *

For a few days, it was just the three of us. My sister, my brother, and me. A ten-year-old Anastasia, five-year-old Nathaniel, and three-year-old Emmeline. My first real memory begins during that time. As we were eating a dinner of cold, canned chicken soup, the best thing Ana knew how to make, there was a knock at the door. As I cried, Ana crept over and turned the doorknob with a shaking hand. A man wearing a brown suit strode in, fingers running through his chestnut hair.

"You're not from the government, are you?" Ana, still trembling, spoke up.

"No, dear." The stranger knelt down, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm here to take care of you. Would you like that?" My sister nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek. He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled before making his way to the two of us at the table.

"You two look hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

My brother, who we'd nicknamed Nat, looked up hopefully. "Can you make mac'n cheese? We have some, but we can't cook it…"

"Hot dogs!" I said, my tears having stopped when he walked over.

The man smiled. "I'll see what I can do." He ruffled Nat's hair affectionately and squeezed my shoulders before walking over to the kitchen.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the four of us feasted on both mac'n cheese _and_ hot dogs.

"Umm...Mister? What's your name?" Ana put her fork down in her empty bowl as she spoke.

The stranger put his hand on his chin. "Well...My name is Leon Bronev. But how about you call me Uncle Leon." We all smiled. "Now, what can I call you?"

"My name is Anastasia. This is Nathaniel, and that's Emmeline. You can call us Ana, Nat, and Emmy, if you like."

"Oh, but I think your real names fit you much better. Is it alright if I use those, Anastasia?"

My sister blushed and smiled. "Sure."

"Do you know what happened to our parents?" Nat suddenly blurted the question, looking up at our new "uncle".

The adult paused before responding. "Well...I'm...I'm afraid they're not coming back for a very long time."

There was silence for a few moments while my siblings thought about this, and I tried to understand.

"But I'll take care of you until they do." My uncle smiled, and Ana threw her arms around him.

"Are you going to take us to a new home?"

Uncle Leon nodded. "In fact, let's go pack up your things right now, so we can go there tonight. How does that sound?"

I shoveled another piece of hot dog in my mouth before shouting "Yay!"

* * *

It took about two hours before we pulled into the driveway of our new home. It was a two-story brick house on the outskirts of London, with a couple of flower gardens in the front. The three of us ran around and explored, each claiming a room to call our own. Mine was a pastel yellow, with a big window that looked out at the street and a window seat that Uncle Leon had to lift me onto. That's where I slept the first night, and that's where my first memory ends.

It's truly a lovely memory. But what I didn't know at the time was that we had really gained three things that day: A new "uncle", a new home, and a place in the organization Targent when we came of age, whether we wanted it or not.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow...My first chapter of my first multi-part story is up! I can't promise that I'll do timely updates, or even finish the story, but I'll try my best. :D**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :) In fact...I'm kinda running low on ideas for her childhood years, so if you guys have any ideas, they'd be VERY appreciated, even if I don't end up using them. :D**

**Also, if anyone has suggestions for a better summary, those would be welcome as well. :)**

**And, for my disclaimer, I don't own Layton.**


	2. A New Friend

Nat and I always used to play together. He was only two years older than me, so he wasn't too "old and cool" to play with his little sister like Ana was. Plus, I was such a tomboy that we had the same taste in games, anyway. So, every day after school, we would just play. What we did depended on the day, but most of the time we would play pretend. We would never pretend boring things like prince and princess or house, though. No, we would go on adventures. Sometimes, we were pirates, sailing the seven seas. Or we would be explorers out in the wilderness. Perhaps superheros, saving the universe.

So that's how we found ourselves zooming down the sidewalk as racecars, leaving Uncle Leon in the dust, on my first day of kindergarten. Nat, due to his longer legs, had about a 5 meter lead, and had turned around to brag. As he stuck his tongue out, not looking behind him, my eyes widened.

"Nat! Stop!" But my warning was too late. He tripped and fell, sliding a bit on the sidewalk.

When I got to him, I saw that he only had a little cut on his knee. And the reason it wasn't worse was that the boy underneath him had taken most of the fall. As Nat got off of him, he sat up, tears running down his tan cheeks. When he rolled over, I gasped. He had scraped the outside of his leg, down the entire length of his calf.

I bolted to where my uncle was catching up. "Uncle Leon! Nat and another boy are hurt, badly!"

"Where?" His eyes widened with urgency.

"Follow me!" Tired as I was, we sprinted back to the boys, and by this time a woman had joined them.

The two adults exchanged wide eyed glances, then turned to their children. As the mother stroked her son's pale hair to calm him, Uncle Leon spoke. "Nathaniel, can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so."

My uncle walked to the mother. "I apologize for my nephew." He paused to look at the boy's condition. "Would you like me to carry him to the office?"

The woman looked up gratefully. "That would be much appreciated."

Uncle Leon scooped the boy up, and all five of us made our way to the office.

The nurses were shocked when we arrived, but got right to work, patching up my brother's knee in a flash. While they were working on the other boy, Nat decided to make conversation.

"Hi! I'm really sorry I hurt you…"

The boy looked up. "That's okay." He smiled with a sniff, his tears having dried. "It doesn't hurt as much now."

"That's good." Nat grinned as well. "My name's Nat Altava, and my sister is Emmy."

"My name is Leonard Bloom."

"It's nice to meet you, Leonard."

There was a pause before he bashfully asked, "Umm...I don't have any friends. We just moved here. Could I play with you at recess?"

With no hesitation, my brother's face lit up even brighter. "Of course! What class are you in?"

Leonard smiled faintly. "Miss Evans's second grade class."

"Me too!" Nat literally jumped for joy.

At that moment, the nurse finished bandaging Leonard's leg. "Alright, you three. Time to go to class!"

We left, all excited about playing together that afternoon.

* * *

And that's how our twosome became a threesome.

Had I known about future events...Well...Let's just say things would have been different.

But I didn't, and so the three of us were best friends from that moment on.

* * *

Author's Note: Finally! I had this ready yesterday, but FanFiction wouldn't let me post it! But now the second chapter is up. :D

I had a bit of trouble with this one, but I worked it out. :) I owe a thank you to The Mocking J for helping me with that! :D

I really have no clue if 5 meters is a reasonable distance. I have enough trouble estimating US measurements...I have no clue about metric!

Also, I should mention that there was a typo in Chapter 1. I said that Nat was seven when they were adopted, but he was really five. That should be fixed, now. :)

Hopefully, I'll update soon. :D


	3. A Fighting Chance

It wasn't until I was 7 that I started wondering what Uncle Leon's job was. All the other kids at school would brag about their firefighting fathers or musical mothers, but I didn't have a clue how my uncle supported his nieces and nephew. One day, that changed.

"Where are we going?" I asked from the back seat of our small, blue car.

"I've decided it's time to show you where I work." Uncle Leon kept his eyes on the road, replying as he signaled left.

"Why do we _have_ to?" Nat complained from next to me. We had been in the middle of one of his favorite activities, pretending we were Jedi, when we left. "Are we almost there? It's been_ forever_."

After the car finished turning, Uncle Leon looked at his nephew for a moment. "Yes. And you're going to stop whining, or I'll personally ensure that your lightsabers are locked up for the next month." He turned back to the road.

Nat pouted, muttering "You didn't answer the second question."

"Oh, just be quiet. You'll get your precious playtime when we get home." The irritability in Ana's voice wasn't unusual. I knew it so well that I could easily imagine the typical eye roll accompanying it.

I sighed, and turned to stare out the window just as we pulled into the parking lot of a large, gray, and plain looking building with no sign. We hopped out into the chilly wind, and made our way into the imposing building.

The inside seemed normal at first, until he started giving us the tour.

The first floor was the lobby, designed look as much like a regular business as possible.

The second floor held the offices. People researching the Azran, doing secretarial work, managing funds, and working on other projects reported there each day.

The third floor, which we didn't visit, was where he bigwigs worked. Director Callahan, Uncle Leon told us, got unhappy when people interrupted his work for unimportant reasons, so it was best to stay away from there.

Then we went to the second, and deepest, underground level, which was filled with rooms. They were all different. Some had a couple computers and a desk. Others contained shelves full of books. And still more were completely empty. They were used for multiple purposes, but the most common was for tutoring. Uncle Leon was not the only member with children, and many of those kids were trained during high school to follow in their parents', or in our case caretaker's, footsteps.

After that, we found ourselves in the elevator on the way to the last floor: the first underground level. The doors opened and we stepped into the hallway.

At first, it looked unremarkable. But then Uncle Leon led us into a padded room with mirrors on one wall. Two people were weaving in and out and around, moving so fast they almost blurred. I tried to keep track as fists shot out, aiming for the opponent, and arms parried blows. I stared, gaping, as the fight, too fast to follow, went on for what seemed like hours, until the shorter one finally fell. Sweating profusely, the winner took a few breaths, and stretched a hand out to the loser, who took it gratefully before saying, "Nice match."

"You too. We'll have to try this again sometime, so I can win." The taller man smirked, winking at his opponent, who I finally realized was a woman.

"As if!" She replied, matching his smile. "You only beat me because I twisted my ankle at the beginning."

The two chucked for a minute, gazing into each other's eyes, before noticing me.

"Hey there, girly!" The man's expression morphed into a kinder smile. "Where are your parents?"

It was then that I finally took a moment to look around and realized that my family had gone to look at the next room while I had been absorbed in the fight.

"I dunno." I frowned, eyebrows drawing together. "I was watching you...and then they disappeared."

The woman smiled as well, moving towards me and putting her hand on my shoulder. "Well why don't you stay here and wait for them to come back?"

"Okay." There was a moment of silence as she brushed a stray lock of hair out of my face. "Umm…what you were doing was really cool! What was it?"

The man laughed again, a deep sort of chuckle. "We were practicing our fighting. Do you want to watch some more?"

"Yeah!" My face brightened.

"I'm up for a rematch." The woman turned to me. "Can you help us by counting to three so we know when to start? He likes to try to cheat and go early."

She winked at me as her partner cried, "Hey! I heard that!" With a bright smile and shining eyes.

The two moved to the middle of the room, and the man gave me a thumbs-up sign.

"Three, two, one...go!" I shouted, giggling. The two began moving instantly, and I watched for another few minutes before a tight hug from behind pulled me out of my entranced state.

"Emmy! We finally found you!" I tilted my head up and found my brother smiling at me.

"Nat! There you are!" My grin was as wide as his. He let go, and I turned around to see not only my own family, but another friend, and his mother, as well.

"Leonard? What are you doing here?" Confused, but happy, I bounced over to them.

"My mum was showing me around." Leonard, not one for over-the-top emotions like me and Nat, let his lips curve up a little.

After a moment, I pointed to the fight in the background. "Look at that! Isn't it cool!"

As our guardians talked, the three of us watched the opponents battle. After a while, the woman fell again.

"See, I told you I'd win!"

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "And I told you that you only stand a chance because of my ankle."

They looked at me again after he helped her up, and made their way over.

"Bronev! Bloom! Which one of you has this little one here?" The man's tone conveyed friendliness and warmth.

My uncle smiled. "She's mine." He ruffled my short, bobbed hair. "Thank you for taking good care of her, Mark, Sarah."

The two men shook hands. "No problem! She was just enjoying watching us."

Sarah approached, smiling "Someone should teach her. She looks like she'd enjoy it." Mark put his arm around her shoulder and she blushed.

Uncle Leon smiled knowingly at the scene before looking at his watch. His eyes widened. "Oh, dear. It's time for us to head home already. It was nice to see you."

We all said goodbyes and thank yous, and we were on our way up in the elevator before Nat said, "You missed all the cool training stuff! That whole floor is like its own big gym, with all sorts of cool machines and rooms and stuff!"

"Well, they were so cool to watch, though!" I crossed my arms.

"I dunno, I guess it was kinda impressive." Nat shrugged.

"What?! Kinda? They were awesome!" My eyes shone as I turned to my uncle, remembering what Sarah had said. "Uncle Leon? Can I take fighting lessons?"

The adult looked taken aback. "Well...I suppose that might be possible. I'll look into it."

"Yay!" I shouted, jumping to give him a hug.

He returned it for a moment before getting a serious look on his face. "Now, listen closely." Nat and Ana turned their attention towards him. "The organization I work for is called Targent. There is one rule that everyone must follow. _Never_ talk about Targent outside of headquarters. You cannot tell _anyone_ where I work. You can't even talk about it with Leonard at school. Is that clear?" He looked so severe that all three of us quickly nodded our assent. "Good." His smile returned, and we all happily walked to the car.

It was a month before I was in my first karate class. Uncle Leon decided that I should start small, learning different types of fighting, before I blended them into my own style. I went every Friday, getting picking it up very quickly, and enjoying every minute of it.

* * *

Author's Note: Third chapter, up! :D

I had a terrible time with this one. First we went back to school and got slammed with homework (That's what we get for having three snow days two weeks before finals!) Then I had a bad case of writers block. Luckily, I got over it and managed to churn out the longest chapter yet! ;D

I found an error in the last chapter. Hopefully, I won't make a habit of this! But I had Leon call Nathaniel "Nat" when I clearly established in the first chapter that he uses their full names... Oops.

I'm trying to decide if I should change the genre label. There's going to be EmmyxLayton shipping much, much later, so it feels odd to have it now, but it'll still be there...What do you guys think?

Hopefully I'll update again soon; I've got a good portion of the next (Shorter) chapter written. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. ;)


	4. Painting a Sister

There was one day when I came home after karate to find Nat moving all his furniture into the hallway, having decided that he no longer liked the color of his room. I helped him empty the space, and then Uncle Leon took us to the store to buy the paint, in my brother's favorite shade of vivid orange. The next day I woke up bright and early, dressed in old clothes and ready to tackle the walls.

After a filling oatmeal breakfast, I skipped into Nat's room. Uncle Leon was already hard at work, painting the edges of the ceiling on the stepladder. Ana was filling in spots that he missed with a roller, looking slightly weary. Upon seeing me, her lips curled up into a small smile.

Shocked, I stopped in my tracks. The idea that my sister might be joining us hadn't occurred to me. I had expected her to take up her usual role of staying locked in her room, refusing to spend time with her annoying little siblings. Her smile was even less expected, though it was a nice change from her usual curled lip and eye roll.

My pause was only slight. I continued in, hopping up to sit on Nat's sturdy desk. It had been too big to move out, so we had pushed it into the corner and covered it with an old sheet.

I swung my legs, waiting for the two to move on to the walls, where I could reach.

My uncle and I had just started one side of the room, and Ana on the other, when Nat stumbled in, yawning.

"Morning, Emmy, Uncle Leon, Ana." His eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he gave no indication of the surprise I had felt when I saw our sister.

"Hey, Nat!" I grinned. "Ready to paint?"

He rubbed his eyes, smiling groggily. "Yup."

Hours later, after lunch, we finally finished. While admiring our work, my uncle noticed a spot he'd missed on the ceiling.

"Anastasia, can you hand me that ladder?"

My sister gave that strange, shy smile I had gotten used to since that morning. "It's a stepladder, Uncle Leon."

He tore his eyes from the imperfection, turning towards her. "What? No, I'm almost certain that's a ladder. Stepladders have rungs and are straight."

If I had been shocked before, I was astounded at what Ana did next: She giggled. It was only slight, more like just blowing air than true laughter, but it was audible in the quiet room

"Umm...I think you have it backwards. 'Step'-ladders have_ steps_." She picked up the debated object and walked over, placing it near our uncle. As she returned to where she had been standing, she slipped on a spot of paint and bumped Nat's desk. In the process, she hit the handle of a paintbrush, sending it flying. She cried out, and as my brother looked up, he got a facefull of orange.

"Ack!" Nat recoiled.

"I'm sorry!" First she smiled, then she apologized? I thought that day couldn't get any weirder.

I was wrong.

As Ana knelt down to express her newfound remorse, Nat flung his saturated paintbrush, giving our sister a mark that perfectly matched his own.

There was a playful fire in her eyes that I had never seen before as she grabbed a roller and started pushing it back and forth over Nat's head, paint seeping through his dark brown hair and down his face.

Nat scampered backwards, but, half blinded, tripped over the roller tray I had been using and splashed its contents all the way up my torso. Looking down at my now orange front, I grabbed his tray and dumped it down his shirt.

Pretty soon, Uncle Leon joined our battle. It was a war zone, globs of orange flying every which way, ending up on everyone.

Our playful little revenge game only ended once we ran out of paint. By the time that happened, though, the walls lay forgotten and we had dissolved into hysterical laughter.

I don't know what it was, but something changed that day in Ana. She seemed didn't seem as annoyed by us, smiling more and rolling her eyes less. We still were certainly not close, but the difference was significant.

Perhaps it's best to use an example, like our tickle fights.

Quite frequently, Nat would sneak up behind me when he was bored. I could tell because he would lightly brush his fingertips behind my knees. I would shriek with laughter, and whirl around, grabbing his ribs in the process. From there it would escalate until we were rolling on the floor, reaching for every open piece of skin we could tickle. Underneath arms, on feet, and in necks, we would go back and forth. Finally, we would just be laughing too hard to continue, trying to regain our breath as we lay there, sometimes even shedding tears of mirth.

Before we painted Nat's room, Ana seemed to think of them as simply a nuisance. Whenever she was nearby, she'd simply give an exasperated sigh, roll her eyes, and turn up her iPod, going to shut herself in her room.

However, her new reaction was to give that slight giggle and watch for a moment, even if she never joined in.

I still didn't truly know my sister, but at least she wasn't an antagonist anymore.

* * *

Author's Note: When I had planned this out, it was actually supposed to be just a couple of short, fun memories for Ana and Nat, and I was originally going to include it with the last chapter. But it kinda took a life of its own while I was writing it...and it really became about Ana. I still find it neat when that happens. :)

10,000 fake bonus points to whoever caught the Ace Attorney reference! :D Team Stepladder all the way! ;D

There was something else I wanted to tell you guys...But I can't remember. So maybe I'll tell you when I upload chapter 5, which will hopefully be soon since next week is finals. :)


	5. Spiders and Sleeping

"AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh!" My high pitched scream echoed around the room as the enormous, eight-legged monster ominously made its way towards me. Frozen in terror, I kept my eyes on it as I heard heavy footsteps up the stairs.

"Emmeline!" Uncle Leon appeared in my doorway, slightly out of breath. "Are you all right?"

I took my eyes off the beast for a moment and looked at him. "S...S...Spider!"

He stared at me for a moment, blinking, before rubbing his forehead. "I thought you were hurt...Emmeline you can't scream like that over a silly insect."

"S-Sorry Uncle…" I looked down in shame, taking a moment before I realized what had happened. My eyes widened in horror.

"It's...It's gone!"

"How am I supposed to kill it if it's gone?" His tone began to leak a bit of exasperation, something he always reserved for my arachnophobia. It wasn't my fault that the disgusting creatures filled me with fear, but he always seemed to think that it was so foolish.

"I dunno...But I can't go to bed now!" Just the thought of being asleep in the same room as that fiend made my heart beat faster.

My uncle took a deep breath and closed his eyes, obviously to avoid rolling them at me. "Where was it last?" I pointed to a spot near the door with a shaking hand. "It probably isn't even in your room anymore. Go to sleep." He stepped towards me and gave me a quick hug. "Good night."

I returned the embrace. "Good night." My voice wavered even though I tried to steady it.

I put on my pajamas and climbed in bed, doing my best to forget about the monster. I tossed and turned as nearly an hour passed, but the thing wouldn't leave my mind. I every time I started to think of something else, it would crawl back into my thoughts, making me hyperventilate. When it finally got so bad I couldn't stand it, I hopped out of bed and tiptoed out of my room.

I quietly navigated the hallway until I was at my brother's door.

"Nat?" I peaked into his room, hoping he was still awake.

"What…?" His groggy voice pierced the darkness and reassured me.

"Umm...Can I sleep with you tonight?" I nervously made my request, hoping he wouldn't take the same view as my uncle and turn me away.

I heard a yawn come from the bed before a lamp clicked on. The light blinded me at first, as I heard him say "Of course." By the time I could see again, there was a compassionate smile on his face, and an empty space next to him. I climbed in and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close as he reached up to stroke my head.

His comfortable warmth and the soothing way his fingers played with my hair helped me to fall asleep quickly.

I'm not easily scared. Sometimes creepy stories were too much, and the occasional storms spooked me. Those awful arachnids, though…They never fail to send shivers up my spine, even now.

Most of the time I could make it to sleep on my own. But when it just overwhelmed me and I needed some comfort, I knew I could just walk over to Nat's room, where he would hold me and protect me.

Where he made me feel safe.

* * *

Author's Note: I understand this is a really short chapter, and also not my best work. To be honest, I was kinda lacking ideas for this one, and really just wanted to get it done. I'll be happy to take any suggestions on how to make it better, and I might rewrite it later.

This is really an important moment for Emmy, though, and I'm planning to bring it up again. Hopefully, if it didn't make an impact now, it will later. :)

Also, unless sudden inspiration strikes, this will be Emmy's last chapter as a 7-9 year old! :) I have the story broken up into age ranges, so next chapter should be starting the 10-11 section. :D

Thanks everyone for sticking with me, and hopefully I'll have the next, longer chapter up soon. :D


	6. Books, Dinners, and Dresses

**Warning:** This chapter contains spoilers for _The Hunger_ _Games _and_ The Fault in our Stars._

While I'm at it, I don't own the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, Hunger Games, or Molly Moon series. Nor _The Fault in our Stars._ (I dunno if I have to disclaim them...But I might as well...)

* * *

I was 10 years old when I fell in love with books.

Leonard was hanging out with us a bit less. Sometimes we would ask him to come over and he would say things that sounded suspiciously like excuses, but a lot of the time he would still join us. Either way, he and Nat were getting older, and they weren't playing with me as much. I, too, was finding that make-believe games were less exciting. That's when I first picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. Who knew there was a whole world of Magical Britain living within our own? And who would have guessed that I could access it with simply words!

There was a tree in our backyard. A tall, sturdy maple, with branches in just the right spots for climbing. Nat and I had played in it before, and sometimes I'd climb it on my own. But there was a branch that was perfect for just sitting on, where I could lean against the trunk and let my feet stretch out. It was there that I saw Harry first make the journey to Hogwarts, and there that I saw Voldemort defeated. I watched Percy Jackson and his friends fight off Kronos. When I was older, I saw Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games, and watched Hazel lose Augustus. I laughed, got angry, and, even though I don't cry easily, my tears probably could have sustained that tree in Monte d'Or!

The reason I'm so addicted? I didn't read those books. I lived them.

It's a sensation like nothing else to simply forget everything that troubles you and disappear into a fantasy world, where everything will be alright in the end. Well, every end but_ The Mark of Athena_.

Of course, there's always the moment that I get ripped out of the story by some outside force, demanding that I attend to real life.

"Emmeline! Get down from there." I tore my eyes away from the book, looking at my Uncle on the ground. "We're leaving in 15 minutes."

"Huh?" My mind was still on Molly Moon and her incredible hypnotic skills.

"The dinner!" My uncle prompted.

I suddenly remembered that today was the annual Targent leaders' dinner. Uncle Leon, as head of the research department, was invited to the event each year, and we attended with him.

"Gah! I'm sorry!" I shouted down as I began to descend from the tree.

As I rushed past him into the house, he said, "There's an outfit on your bed. Wear it."

His instruction filled me with dread. He must have known I was going to try to work my way out of whatever he had set aside. In which case, the dress was probably either pink or glittery.

It was both.

There was a scowl on my face as I pulled the light colored garment on, with its loose skirt of shimmery, silky fabric. I put on the headband and necklace that were with it, frown deepening when I couldn't get the jewelry to clasp.

I glanced in the mirror, sighing, while slipping on the matching flats. As I made my way down the steps, I saw my uncle.

"You look lovely, Emmeline."

"Thanks." My voice was flatter than a pancake as I slipped on my coat on and followed my family out to the car.

I spent the hour while we drove delving back into Molly's adventures in New York, where all my frustration fell away.

I had just seen her reunited with her best friend when we pulled into the driveway of Commander Alba's rather large house. As we piled out of the car, I casually held the paperback by my side, hoping my uncle would overlook the small object.

"The book stays." Uncle Leon grumbled as I scowled and threw it onto my seat.

I managed to resist the urge to stomp up to the house, and greeted the butler politely. He took us through the grand halls into the dining room, where the large party of guests were mostly seated around the ostentatious table.

"Bronev. Glad you could make it." Commander Alba stood up and shook my uncle's hand. "Please, take your seat. Ana, feel free to join us." My sister's eyes widened, as she wasn't usually invited to sit with the adults.

"Fawles, will you please take Nat and Emmy to the patio?" My brother and I followed the butler outside, the sounds of the meeting fading away as we exited the house and joined the other kids in the backyard. A few littler ones were playing tag, screaming and giggling as they ran around on the verdant grass. The older teens were huddled in a group, gossiping.

And then there was Dudley Alba.

A couple years ago, when my uncle was first promoted, he invited Nat to join him and his gang. In essence, all they did during the dinners was pick on the littler kids. He was just like Dudley Dursley, only less spoiled. My brother didn't like the idea, and turned them down to play with me.

Of course, Dud didn't like that. So now, every year, he made it a point to bother us.

"Hey loser, princess." He sauntered over with his friends behind him.

"What do you want?" Nat's tone was more annoyed than anything, quite unlike my glaring face.

"I only wanted to tell the princess how _pretty_ she looks tonight" His words were laced with fake sincerity, his mouth smiling at my scowl. "Pink is a nice color on you."

"Leave me alone." I growled, trying to roll my eyes as if it was nothing. Of course, it was obvious to even the most oblivious person that now was an easy time to get on my nerves.

"It's so glittery...It makes you look like them." He gestured to the two older girls by the door, talking and giggling and fixing their makeup. Basically the epitome of girly-girl-ness, which was the last thing I wanted to be identified with at that age.

"If you say one more word…" I held up my fists threateningly.

"What're you gonna do, punch me? You're a girl; you can't fight." His haughty expression and patronizing tone were bad enough, but then he had the nerve to lightly punch my shoulder.

"You shouldn't have said that." I wasn't paying much attention to my brother as he said this. I was more focused on punching or kicking every inch of the bully I could reach. By the end, my dress was covered in dirt, and a little red from when I gave him a bloody nose, and we both had bruises all over, but I was the clear winner. He was on the ground, in shock.

I pushed my headband, which had fallen just above my eyes, back onto my hair. "For your information, I get my black belt next month." I threw back the same condescending tone back at him and looked up with a self-satisfied smirk. That's when I realized that every single kid in the yard had frozen and was gaping in my direction. At something over my head.

I turned around, and my eyes widened and the smile fell away as I saw Uncle Leon, Commander Alba and Fawles all staring as well.

I gulped.

"Emmeline Altava!" My uncle never shouted, but he came perilously close. I cringed at the harshness, preparing for the lecture I was sure to get.

"Hold on a minute, Bronev." It was a moment before I realized that the speaker was none other than Commander Alba. Not only was he my uncle's boss, he was also the father of the bloody-nosed boy on the ground behind me! I was even more worried now that he had spoken, wondering if he would tell me off more.

"That's one spunky kid you've got there. I like it." He smiled slyly, and my face contorted into a shocked gasp.

"What?" Uncle Leon did a double take. "Surely you aren't saying you condone my niece's decision to beat up your son!"

"Not in so many words, no." He smiled at our shock, turning to me. "But you had the guts to attack a boy two years older and twice your size with his friends backing him up. And won. That's something we need in an agent. You might need to rein it in a bit, but you'd make a good assasin, or perhaps a spy." I recoiled a bit at his first suggestion, but otherwise continued to stare. "Well, are you going to say anything?"

I snapped out of it. "Uh...thank you, sir!"

Afterwards, Uncle Leon and Commander Alba went back to the meeting, but not before my uncle pointedly reminded me that we'd be discussing this later, while Fawles escorted Dudley inside to get cleaned up.

It wasn't until we'd gotten home and I was in bed that my uncle saw fit to hand out my punishment.

"Emmeline." I couldn't meet his eyes as he sat on my bed, knowing they would be filled with crushing disapproval. "What you did today was certainly wrong, even if the commander seems to think otherwise."

"Yes, sir…" I knew calling him that would get my point across; It was reserved for only when I felt truly guilty.

His expression softened. "For your punishment, I need you to give me your book."

"No, Uncle, please! Anything but that!" I hugged it to my chest, hoping my plea would work.

"Come on. This way you'll remember next time, before you throw a punch."

I let him pry the thing from my loosened grip. "I understand." My tone was mournful, but I knew it had to be done.

"You can have it back in a week." He tucked it under his arm. "Now...A more pleasant note for you." My eyes brightened in surprise; I hadn't considered that something good would come out of my misconduct. "I've decided that you're ready to move to the next phase of combat training."

"Really?" I couldn't contain the excitement in my voice. Uncle Leon had been promising for a while, but I was shocked that he would say that this soon.

"Yes. I'm planning to take you out of some karate classes so you'll only be going once a week again. You can use that extra time for the kickboxing lessons I've been arranging."

I grinned. "Thank you, Uncle Leon!" I lunged and wrapped my arms around him. He returned my hug for a few moments before breaking away and getting up to leave.

"Oh, Uncle?"

"Yes, Emmeline?"

"One last thing. Can I get dresses to wear every day?"

My uncle looked at me as if I'd turned purple.

"Are you feeling alright? You didn't get hit in the head earlier, did you?"

I giggled. "No, don't worry. I just decided that I think fighting in a dress is easier, and that I want to wear them more often. As long as they're not fancy or pink!"I added the last part quickly as my uncle smiled. "Maybe yellow and green. Even orange or blue would work just fine."

"I'll see what I can do. Good night, Emmeline."

"Good night, Uncle Leon. And thanks again." He smiled one last time before closing the door quietly.

* * *

Author's Note: I've been excited for this one...I wrote most of the first couple paragraphs back when Emmy was still 3! :D

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to mention this in story, as it's not really something that seems to flow nicely, but it'll hopefully make Targent easier for you all to understand. The head of all Targent is Commander Alba. He lives in the Nest, where HQ is located, but has a vacation home in England for occasions such as this. The building Emmy visited at 7 was the Targent Headquarters of London, led by Director Callahan. I might add more detail later, but this should be good for now. :)

For the record, every series mentioned is one that I have read and loved. :)

Until next chapter! :D


	7. Yummy!

There was a flash of lighting, quickly followed by booming thunder. I was sitting on a tree stump, soaking wet but intently watching the two children talking a few feet away.

"Aaaah, what's happening? Where's New York gone?" the girl cried, her messy brown hair dripping.

The boy next to her smiled kindly. "Your time in New York never existed. It was all a figment of your imagination, and my imagination too." His dark curls were flattened with the force of the precipitation.

"But...how?" Molly Moon's closely set green eyes betrayed her confusion

Then, unexpectedly, the world shook around us.

"No!" I cried as the book slipped out of my dry, fumbling hands. From my position in the maple in my new yellow dress, I saw my story falling through the branches and landing next to a squirrel. Their combined weight pulled the twig down, like a slingshot, which flung the paperback into the air as soon as the animal jumped off in fright. I watched as my precious story flew for a few seconds, before landing less than a foot away from Chewbacca the standard poodle, my neighbor's dog whose name fit perfectly with his curly, brown fur.

Unfortunately for me, it also fit his tendency to chew anything and everything that went over that fence.

"Ohhh..." I groaned. It was then that I noticed the bright orange fabric caught in the branches a few feet away from my face.

"Nat! You're not supposed to fly kites by trees!"

"Sorry, Emmy!" The distant voice of my brother called. "Where else was I supposed to fly it?"

"Maybe somewhere that wouldn't end with my book being knocked into Chewy's jaws!" The frustration started to leak into my voice. "I just got it back 15 minutes ago, and it's_ already_ gone again!"

Nat gasped as he realized what he had done. "I'm so sorry!"

"Well then help me fix it!" I shouted crossly as I descended the tree.

The two of us ran to our neighbor's door and knocked.

"Oh, hello you two." The friendly man answered, dressed in what seemed to be work clothes. "How can I help you?"

"Mr. Erbach, Nat lost my book in your yard, and I'd really like to get it before Chewbacca turns it to mush!"

"Well of course, Emmy. Come on through." He stepped back and gestured to the sliding glass door behind him, through which I could see the furry dog happily gnawing on something. I

I prepared myself to see the mushy remains of what had been my current fantasy land as I ran towards him.

When we got there, I was shocked to find only a page and a half, both dripping with ink and torn, while Chewy happily feasted away at a rawhide treat.

I stared for a moment before reaching the terrible conclusion. My eyes widened in horror. "He ate it!"

"What?" Nat didn't seem to believe me as he walked over.

"It's gone, he had to have eaten it!"

"Woah...He's fast…"

Nat and I stared in silence for a minute before we heard Mr. Erbach's voice. "Here, Chewy!"

The dog jumped up and ran to his owner, wagging his tail as the man rubbed his ears.

"Did you find it?"

"No...We think he ate it." My voice was resigned as I stared sadly at the slobbery bone.

"Are you sure? He normally doesn't eat things; he just chews them. Perhaps you're mistaken."

"I'm pretty certain. Thanks for trying, Mr. Erbach." I turned to go.

"Oh, could you grab his rawhide before you leave? I'm about to mow the lawn."

"Sure." Nat grabbed it and handed it to the owner before we glumly made our way back home.

"I'm really sorry, Emmy." Nat said as we climbed the stairs.

"It's fine, Nat. You didn't mean it." I sulked into my room, and sat on the window seat for a while. The sound of the nearby lawn mower lulled me into a short nap.

When I awoke, I the first thing I saw was Mr. Erbach walking up the front drive. The sight filled me with hope, thinking that maybe I would get to finish my story after all.

I ran down to greet him before he even rang the doorbell, but froze at the sheepish and guilty look on his face.

"Well, Emmy, I was right that Chewy didn't eat your book." He paused, sighing. "But I found that out when I ran over the pieces with my mower… I'm very sorry."

My face fell.

"Let me make it up to you, though. How 'bout I take you to the bookstore and get another copy for you. Would you like that?"

I gave a quiet gasp and my eyes filled with hope. "Really?"

"Yup. I can't today, but tomorrow I'll pick you up."

"Thank you so much!" I grinned.

The next day, I walked through the door, already onto the next chapter.

"I'm back, Uncle Leon!" I waved to him as he washed the dishes, but with the wrong hand. I watched in horror as the brand new paperback sailed through the air and right into the sink, which was filled with water.

"Nooo!"

Maybe I just wasn't supposed to finish that book.

* * *

Author's Note: I really didn't expect to finish this chapter so soon! (Especially since I had a big music performance today!)

Anyway, credit for the idea goes to EmmyEeveeZorua, who requested this. :D So, I suppose, if anyone else has any requests, I'll be willing to try and take them. :D

Also, the dialogue and setting of the story she's reading are not mine. I used a scene from _Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism_ as a basis for that part. Speaking of which, I don't own that book.

I should have my next chapter out soon. Not quite this as quickly as this one, though! ;D

One last thing: I added a sentence to the last chapter based on a suggestion by The MockingJ. Thanks for the idea! :)


	8. The Cactus Incident

I opened my eyes, yawning. The daylight blinded me for a few moments after I awakened before I realized I wasn't in my bedroom.

I was in my 7th grade social studies class, in the middle of Mr. Marshall's lecture.

My eyes widened as I realized it had been a very dumb decision last night to stay up until 3 finishing my latest book.

Luckily, our teacher didn't seem to notice. However, Hazel Slanda, the popular mean girl who happened to sit next to me, did, and snickered. I ignored her though, trying to figure out what our teacher was talking about.

I paid close attention for the rest of the hour, miraculously, listening as our teacher talked about the Seven Years' War. Managing, as was his talent, to incorporate the American Southwest into today's class, too.

See, Mr. Marshall lived there with his family before he moved here, though no one understood why he left; he clearly missed the place. He had little cacti on all the windowsills; wore a cowboy hat every day; constantly talked about his police officer cousin in Los Angeles; and, to the horror of the janitors, had a layer of sand spread across the floor.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the bell rang. I was packing up my stuff when he said, in speech that, as usual, didn't match his strange obsession, "Emmy, I'd like to see you please."

I gulped, trying to come up with excuses for my little nap as I walked to his desk. There was a sudden pain in my neck, but I ignored it, along with many of my classmates, who were looking at me and giggling.

"You needed me?"

"Yes. I heard about a book I thought you might like." I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding.

"What is it?" I could feel the color coming back to my face as I relaxed, grateful that my tiredness had gone unnoticed and curious about this new story.

"It's called_ In the Forests of New Mexico_, and it's a historical fiction about a girl who lives in the Southwest United States during the Mexican-American War. While we might not have studied that event at all, you may still find it quite interesting." Mr. Marshall finished his summary with a smile.

"Thank you! I'll be sure to check it out! Have a nice day." Grinning, I turned to leave so I could be on time for my next class.

"Oh, Emmy, one last thing."

"Yes?" I spun again to face my teacher.

"There's something tangled in your hair."

"There is?" I reached up to feel the back of my head, scraping my fingers in the process. "Ow!"

"Come here, let me help." I backed over to Mr. Marshall, letting him look at the stuck object. He began to unsnarl the strands, and, while I knew he would try to be gentle, it still felt as if he was yanking. Plus, the pain I had ignored earlier was getting stronger. The combination of the two was causing tears to well up in my eyes.

The fourth hour bell rang; luckily, that was his free hour, so he continued to untangle.

After a few more minutes, my teacher spoke. "Emmy...You seem to have a cactus in your hair."

I blinked for a moment. "A...Cactus?"

"Yes."

"How in the world would a cactus get in my hair?"

"Perhaps Hazel put it there while you were taking your little nap?"

I gasped a little, eyes widening. "You...noticed?"

"Of course."

My face was pink, but I couldn't contain my curiosity. "But you weren't going to say anything?"

"No. I figured you could use a little grace." I could hear the knowing smile in his voice as he continued to pull strands this way and that.

There was more silence, until he finally stopped.

"Emmy...I think this is too stuck to simply untangle. We might have to cut your hair to get it out."

My shoulders fell as I gave a small sigh. "I suppose if we must."

"Would you rather do it later?"

"No," I said, remembering the giggles of my classmates earlier.

I still eyed the scissors warily, however, as Mr. Marshall grabbed them from his desk. He gathered my hair like a ponytail, and I squeezed my eyes shut as he cleanly snipped off a good ten centimeters.

"I'm sorry it's a bit jagged...But at least the cactus is out." I turned around to see him holding the object, along with most of my hair.

I sighed, glancing down at what was left. "Thank you." I gave him a grateful smile.

"You're welcome." He replied with a grin of his own as he wrote me a pass. "Have a nice day, Emmy."

"Hopefully I will, thanks." I grabbed the paper and walked out, making my way to the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, I saw that my new haircut fell unevenly, just past my chin. I ran my fingers through it, frowning a bit at how short it felt. I pulled it back, but it wasn't quite long enough to stay in a ponytail. Sighing, I left it as it was and made my way to math.

Later that night, after shocking my family, Uncle Leon took me to the hairdresser, who was happy to trim the lopsided edges.

Needless to say, I was unhappy with Hazel Slanda.

But she wasn't about to stop those nasty tricks anytime soon.

* * *

Author's Note: I started writing this chapter with about three different ideas of where it could go. It took me a little while to pick between them, and this is where it turned out. :)

Emmy's getting older again! Right now she's 12, and for the next few chapters.

Also, kudos to you if you realized that Mr. Marshall's cousin was supposed to be Jake Marshall, the police officer from Ace Attorney. ;D

The next chapter should be soon. Maybe. (I just started the new semester...and have a really strict bio teacher...So maybe.)


	9. The Monster in the Closet

Once we left elementary school, field trips were increasingly rare. However, Mr. Kepler, our science teacher, decided that a visit to a natural science museum was in order when we began studying the topic.

Usually I wasn't very fond of school, where I could never stay focused on lectures, frequently forgot homework, and had trouble sitting still.

But the Pinefield Institute entranced me.

It was a strange choice since we lived in London, with top notch museums of all kinds right near home. Most of the class was curious as to why we didn't just go to one of those instead of someplace in a small town an hour away. However, when asked, Mr. Kepler simply said, "It's a very nice museum."

While the rest of the kids found it boring, our teacher's description was an understatement, in my mind. From its displays of fascinating gemstones to the room recreating prehistoric London to the myriad of ancient artifacts, not from the Azran for once, I was hooked. In fact, I was so enthralled that I managed to ignore all of Hazel's taunts about my hair, which were frequent since we had, unfortunately, been assigned to the same group.

I wasn't ready to go when two o'clock came around. Of course, it was just my luck that Hazel wasn't ready either, though for a decidedly different reason.

"Ugh. I can't believe we'll still have an hour of school left when we get back." I overheard her talking to her friends just before we had to regroup, distracting me from the signpost of a beautiful example of rose quartz. "I mean, this is totally boring, but I'd rather be wasting time here than in gym."

"Yeah." The tallest and more muscly of the three spoke quickly, eager to agree. "It's too bad we can't just stay late and miss the rest of school." She looked at Hazel while running her fingers through her jet black hair, hoping for approval.

The leader looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we can, Amber." She glanced at our chaperone, who was busy taking care of a boy with a bloody nose, before turning her gaze to me. Our eyes locked for a moment, mine widening with a small breath, hers narrowing with a smirk.

Looking down, I swiftly began to walk towards the boy, who was trying to clot the bleeding while also cleaning up the mess. However, I didn't get very far before I ran headfirst into Amber. I backed up slowly as the other two closed in.

"Thanks, cactus-head."

Before I could react, Hazel gave Amber a nod, and the latter promptly pushed me backwards, hard. I stumbled, falling into the open closet that I hadn't realized was behind me.

"Hey!" Just as I hopped to my feet, the door slammed in my face. I tried the knob, but it was locked. "Let me out!"

There were voices outside, hopefully someone noticing I was gone. I waited, holding my breath, for the door to open, but the noise faded. Not hearing footsteps, I figured my group was still there, so I pounded on the door with no success. Either they had left without me noticing, or this closet was practically soundproof.

I sighed, giving up for the time being, and took in my surroundings. The closet was rather small, with 5 rows of shelves on each wall. The flickering light on the ceiling kept it from being too dark, but it was still rather hard to see much else. So I sat on an empty shelf and waited. And waited. First five minutes. Then 10. Then 15. I passed the time by thinking of my favorite books as I moved about the closet.

Periodically, I could hear people pass by, but only by their voices. Every time I would jump up and hit the door as hard as I could. But even with my karate training, it wasn't enough.

It was after 45 minutes of daydreaming and pacing that I saw it, peeking out from behind a can on a shelf above my head.

I froze in fear, trying to control myself. I kept telling myself that it was okay, I'd be alright. But it started to come towards me, creeping with its huge legs, bringing its hairy body closer and closer.

I managed to keep from crying out, something I'd been working at with Uncle Leon. I took deep breaths, just like I'd been advised, backing as far away as possible. But still it kept coming.

I started shaking, and closed my eyes for a split second. During that moment however, two things happened: At the same time that I heard the knob of the door being wrestled with, I felt eight thin, furry legs creeping up my calf.

That's when I lost it. I screamed, a frightened, high-pitched squeal, and swatted at my leg wanting nothing more than to get it off or, better yet, kill the beast. After a few attempts, I made contact and felt the satisfying smush of it being crushed under my hand.

For a few moments, all I could do was stand there, closed eyes not registering the sudden light, and take shaky breaths.

Then there was a hesitant tap on my shoulder and I jumped. "Gah!" That's when I saw the custodian who had opened the door, and had probably heard a muffled version of the scene. My face felt hot, though my breathing did not steady.

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome."

There was another moment of silence. "What just happened?"

My blush deepened. "Umm...I'm arachnophobic…"

"I see." He scratched his head. "Are you the girl from that school? The one that's missing?"

"Probably." A pause. "I suppose I should find them now. Thanks again."

"Anytime." The man's expression was no less bewildered now than when he had opened the door, but I slipped around him and made my way to the bathroom, thankful to get out of that awkward situation.

After washing my hands and my leg, I went to look for my classmates. It only took me a few minutes to find them.

"Emmy! Where in the world did you go!" Mr. Kepler's eyes widened before his features contorted into a disapproving frown.

"Well...I got shoved into a closet." I brushed a lock of hair behind my ear as he raised his eyebrows.

"A closet?" He shook his head. "Nevermind. I don't want to know." He gathered all the chaperones that had been searching with him, and we made our way to the bus. Hazel gave me a sickeningly sweet smile, which I returned with a glare.

I spent the ride home trying to think of anything but the feel of the monster crawling up my leg. But it just wouldn't go away, and I shuddered every few minutes.

That night, I slept in Nat's room. Even though it had been five years since that first night, he still kept me safe.

* * *

Author's Note: I meant to get this out a LOT sooner, but this week has been so hectic... I'm just glad to get it to you at all! Plus, I had a huge case of writer's block about halfway through...

But it's out, and the next chapter is in progress. :)

About the new cover picture, it's something I drew a while ago. I'd been saving it for chapter 11 (At least, it _should_ be chapter 11. ;D) because it's how she looks then in my mind, but I couldn't help myself. ;)

Hopefully there will be less of a break before chapter 10. :D


	10. Targent Testing

My thirteenth birthday was a quiet affair. I got to sleep in, then spend the rest of the day with my small family, playing laser tag and driving go-karts. It was nice, especially since the adrenaline rush of skidding around a curve at high speeds or dodging incoming lasers distracted me from my growing anxiety about the next day. The day of my Targent Test.

Uncle Leon was not the only Targent member with children. Since it would be a shame to waste the opportunity to gather talented new recruits, these children, including me and my siblings, were trained, starting at the age of thirteen, in the two areas we displayed the most aptitude. Ana, who had become a full member only weeks before, studied Tech and Leadership, while Nat was following the Leadership/Intelligence track with Leonard. I had yet to learn how I'd be trained, though I was sure it would be something along the lines of fighting.

Still, I was extremely nervous as Uncle Leon drove me to Targent headquarters for the first time since that day when I was seven.

"Uncle Leon, I don't feel good." I hugged my churning stomach, grimacing.

"You'll be fine. You're just anxious." His words seemed dismissive, but his voice was soothing, and it helped my head to feel a little less fuzzy when I replied.

"But what if I get put on the Leadership track? Or even worse...what if they want me to study on Intelligence!" I hated the idea of wasting the next seven years perfecting my non-existent people skills or studying uninteresting subjects and spending my days with the boring Azran.

"Emmeline, you'll be fine. Just keep telling yourself that."

I muttered the phrase under my breath for a few moments. "I'll be fine...I'll be fine…" Mouth still dry, we pulled into the parking lot just as I was saying "It isn't working."

"Then just breathe."

That's exactly what I did as we made our way into the headquarters, to Underground Level Two, and Uncle Leon showed me to a room just outside the elevator. My breaths were shaky, and uneven, unable to overcome my nerves.

After all, my actions of the next couple hours would determine how I would spend the rest of my life in Targent.

I buried my face in my uncle's chest as I hugged him. "Good luck." He whispered into my ear, before tousling my hair.

"Thanks." I pulled away and smiled, watching as he left the small room.

"Hi, Emmeline. I'm Sarah, and I'll be giving you your test today." I looked at the college age girl who had been standing there with a smile on her face, and felt a comfortable recognition, as if she'd helped me feel safe a long time ago.

"It's Emmy." There was a pause while I tried to remember the circumstances of our last meeting. "Do I...know you from somewhere?"

"I was just thinking the same thing…" Her eyes widened. "Oh, wait! Are you the little girl who got lost and watched me fighting with Mark all those years ago?" I smiled as the memory resurfaced.

"Yeah! I remember that now! I was about seven." I chuckled as I remembered how entranced I had been, and how little I was.

Sarah smiled. "Well, now that that's out of the way, are you ready to get started?"

"No." She chuckled slightly at my honesty.

"Would you feel any better if I let you pick where we start?" Her kindness was relaxing; I'd been imagining someone mean who would force me to sit in a room and answer questions all day.

"Could we do whatever test you have for the Muscle track?" My question was hesitant, but I already felt much better.

"Sure." Sarah grinned again. "Now, if you'll just follow me and take your shoes off…" I did, and we made our way to a room with padded walls, like a smaller version of the place where we had met all those years ago. On the side was a scale that measured both weight and height, rather like the kind doctors used. "Could you step up here for a moment? And stand up tall." She took the measurements, and we moved on.

By the time we had finished with Muscle testing, which consisted of her analyzing my fighting style and skill, I had relaxed, and was ready to move on to Intelligence. That was basically just a giant test, which I'm pretty sure measured my IQ, and some simple logic puzzles. I breezed through the whole thing.

After those two, I got to take a break for lunch. Apparently, there was a cafeteria in the back of the second above-ground floor. Sarah took me up and let me pick whatever I wanted, which was a real treat since I didn't get to go out to eat often.

Even though I was still happy from lunch, the technology and leadership tests were hard. First, I had to follow a set of instructions and use a little creative thinking to set up a simulation. I then had to go through this for the leadership test, making decisions as a leader of various groups, beginning with toddlers and ending with arguing adults.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Sarah reached over and turned off the screen. "Alright! I just have one more question." I nodded my assent. "Which two of these tests did you enjoy the most?"

"Well..." I began. "I loved the Muscle test. I've always enjoyed fighting. And the Intelligence test was easy, so I guess that was okay." There was a pause before I caught where this was going. My next words rushed out. "But I really don't want to study on Intelligence because its just like school and I'm really terrible at school and it's always miserable and-"

"Whoa, Emmy!" Sarah gave a slight chuckle, which I would have found frustrating had it been anyone else, but was strangely different coming from her. "First of all, you're really smart."

"Yeah right. My teachers would certainly disagree." I looked down.

When she began, her calm, slow speech was in stark contrast to my own. "No, Emmy. You're _really_ smart. It takes most people an hour to finish that Intelligence test. It only took you thirty minutes." I gasped. "Perhaps the reason you don't succeed in school as much as you'd like is that they don't teach in your learning style."

"But I'd still have to learn about the Azran." I protested, though less adamantly than before. I was still in shock; it was the first time someone other than Nat had told me I really was smart, despite my pessimistic view of my abilities. I had never believed him, but now I began to wonder if he had been right.

She thought for a moment. "Well...I'm actually qualified to be your tutor if you choose Muscle and Intelligence. You're right in that no matter what you would have to study the Azran. But I think I could manage to make that fun." She winked. "How does that sound?" When I didn't respond right away she added "Take your time."

And I did. I thought about all the tests I had taken that day, and how I'd really struggled with tech, which would have been my choice. I thought about how I'd enjoyed being with Sarah all day, and how it was her encouragement that made everything easier.

After a few minutes, I'd made my decision.

I smiled. "That sounds great."

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, that took a LOT longer than I expected! This was the chapter, though, when I truly figured Targent out. I had to decide how to portray them, their history, their methods...all of that in much more detail than other chapters. I'd planned to use it now, but I think I'm going to wait until a better time. :)

In addition, I had a really busy week, since I was trying to make sure I had nothing to do last weekend because of AZRAN LEGACY! (Finally!) :D I've already beaten the story...It was amazing, even though I spoiled it. ;D

About my ending of the chapter...If it sounds strange or anything please let me know. I'm bad at conclusions, whether of an essay, a paragraph, or a chapter. :)

Hopefully it won't take _quite_ this long for the next chapter! :D


End file.
